What Was Left At Camp

Chapter 34. You'll regret it

I woke up the next morning in a panic, my bed sheets wet with sweat. I had been tossing and turning all night thinking of William. It was about four in the morning when I finally fell into a deep sleep and the nightmares started. The most vivid was one where William was all alone crying out for help but no one could hear his calls. I felt his pain and his fears. He was lost, exhaustion crippling him.

"Honey, what's wrong?" My Mother came bursting through my bedroom door. "I heard screaming." She was out of breath from running to my room.

"William!" I jumped out of bed, his name slipped from my mouth without thinking.

"William?" My mother approached me. She placed a hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong, Christian? Did you hear from him?"

I was hurled over with my hand against the wall to hold myself up. Catching my breath I looked back to my mothers worried face. "No." I was breathing heavily. "Ju-just a b-bad dream."

My mom exhaled a sigh of relief. "Sit Christian." My mom pulled back on my shoulders leading me towards the corner of the bed. We both sat side by side, my shirt and hair dripping with night terror sweat. "Do you know if Maria was able to get in touch with him?" My mother asked.

"Who told you?" I looked at her with sad eyes. I had not seen my parents since before Rob's party. When I left the party with Christina the night prior, I came right to my room and had not left.

"Your father heard about his grandfather on the news. When he told me, I asked Christina. She said you all found out last night and that Maria was going to try and get more information."

I nodded understandingly. "I'm not sure. As of two in the morning, Maria had not heard back from William nor Wendy. She said she tried calling and texting."

"I'm sure he's ok. All things considered." She gave me an apologetic look.

"Are you sure about that, Mom?" I dropped my head and covered my face with the palms of my hand. "I don't know what to do." I spoke, my voice muffled under the cover of my hands.

My mom gently pulled my hands away from my face. She took her own and placed them on the sides of my face and forced me to look at her. "You will. When the time comes, you will know exactly what to do. I know you're probably confused right now. You want to run to him but your past is stopping you... and that's ok, Honey." She pulled my head down just a bit and leaned forward, placing a motherly kiss on my forehead. She pulled back and dropped her hands. "How about I make you some pancakes? Christopher has been asking me to make some all morning. Get up, shower, and they'll be ready by the time you come down."

***

More information regarding Gregory Mencini's death had been reported by the end of day, Saturday. It was confirmed that William made the 911 call and that he died of heart failure. The paramedics reported he was pronounced dead upon arrival. Apparently he didn't live a very healthy lifestyle but there were rumors of an argument that took place prior to his death. Whenever the kind of money Gregory was worth is involved, rumors like an argument turned into suspicions of a crime. In a press conference, the police dismissed any possibility of his death being criminal but that didn't stop social media. It was one conspiracy theory after the next and William was at the center of them all.

"It's disgusting really." Maria exclaimed while we sat in my living room watching the news and scrolling through social media.

"You had to see this coming." Mike lifted his head from his phone to speak. "The man is worth billions. People are going to speculate."

"That doesn't give anyone the right to drag Williams name through the mud!" Christina joined the conversation. "Did you see the latest trend?" Christian asked the group. No one responded, knowing she was going to tell us whether we wanted to know or not. "William's now made Forbes list of wealthiest teenagers. Girls are posting love letters to him." She looked back down to her phone. "Eww, there's even old ladies posting."